Information processing apparatus and operation control method

• US 20060095389A1
• Filed: 10/27/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hirota, Toshiyuki, Hibi, Kenji
• Application Number:
  US11/258,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20060095389A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a storage unit which stores operation information that designates an operational environment related to a security for each time period and for each of a plurality of predetermined places, a position detecting unit which detects a current position, a time detecting unit which detects a current time, and a control unit which changes an operation related to the security based on the detected current position, the detected current time, and the operation information.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a storage unit which stores operation information that designates an operational environment related to a security for each time period and for each of a plurality of predetermined places;

a position detecting unit which detects a current position;

a time detecting unit which detects a current time; and

a control unit which changes an operation related to the security based on the detected current position, the detected current time, and the operation information.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation information includes:

a plurality of operation designation information items that designate corresponding operations related to the security and information that correlates each of the plurality of operation designation information items to a specific using place and a specific time period, and

the control unit includes;

a selecting unit which selects an operation designation information item corresponding to the detected current position and the detected current time from among the plurality of operation designation information items; and

a setting unit which sets the operation related to the security based on the selected operation designation information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes:

a detecting unit which detects a place to which the detected current position belongs from among the plurality of places; and

a setting unit which sets the operation related to the security based on the detected place, the detected current time, and the operation information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitting unit which transmits an alarm message to an exterior apparatus by a wireless signal when the detected current position does not belong to any of the plurality of places.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the alarm message includes positional information indicating the detected current position.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a inhibiting unit which inhibits the operation of the information processing apparatus when the detected current position does not belong to any of the plurality of places.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the inhibiting unit executes processing of powering off the information processing apparatus.

8. An operation control method for controlling an information processing apparatus, comprising:

storing operational information that designates an operational environment related to a security for each time period and for each of a plurality of predetermined using places;

detecting a current position of the information processing apparatus;

detecting a current time; and

changing an operation related to the security based on the detected current position, the detected current time, and the operational information.

9. The operation control method according to claim 8, wherein the operation information includes:

a plurality of operation designation information items that designate corresponding operation related to the security respectively and information that corresponds each of the plurality of operation designation information items to a specific place and a specific time period; and

the changing includes;

selecting an operation designation information item corresponding to the detected current position and the detected current time from among the plurality of operation designation information; and

setting the operation related to the security based on the selected operation designation information item.

10. The operation control method according to claim 8, wherein the executing includes:

detecting a place to which the detected current position belongs from among the plurality of using places belongs; and

setting the operation with respect to the security based on the detected place, the detected current time, and the operational information.

11. The operation control method according to claim 8, further comprising a executing processing of inhibiting the operation of the information processing apparatus when the detected current position does not belong to any of the plurality of using places.

12. The operation control method according to claim 11, wherein the executing processing of powering off the information processing apparatus.

13. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a position detecting unit which detects a position;

a time detecting unit which detects a time; and

a control unit which performs first operation related to security based on detected first position and detected first time, and which performs second operation related to security based on detected second position and detected second time.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a transmitting unit which transmits an alarm message to an exterior apparatus when the control unit does not perform operation related to the security.

15. The information processing apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the alarm message includes positional information indicating the detected position.

16. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a inhibiting unit which inhibits the operation of the information processing apparatus when the control unit does not perform operation related to the security.

17. The information processing apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the inhibiting unit executes processing of powering off the information processing apparatus.

18. The information processing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising an authenticating unit which authenticates whether an user is valid or not, and a transmitting unit which transmits an alarm message to an exterior apparatus when the authenticating unit authenticates the user is not valid.